3.6/5 rating (401 votes)

Chettinad Chicken

Tangy South Indian Chicken

  • Heat Hot
  • Serves 4
  • Dietary Info CONTAINS-COCONUT LACTOSE-FREE WHEAT-FREE GLUTEN-FREE
  • Cook 40 mins
Chettinad Chicken

Hari says

A lovely flavoursome chicken curry dish from Tamil Nadu in South India. Chettinad Chicken is made by toasting a number of spices with coconut and producing an aromatic masala that has a slight aniseed scent. If you think it will be to fiery for you just reduce the number of chillies. Traditionally it is served with Dosa or Appams but it is just as good with a flaky Parathas and even plain boiled rice.

  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 3 dry red chillies
  • 3cm piece of cinnamon
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 3 cloves
  • 50g grated coconut
  • 2 tsp ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 2 onions sliced finely
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 tomatoes
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 8 chicken thighs, skinned
  • salt to taste
  • 2 limes
  • handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Method

  1. Heat a heavy pan on a gentle heat and roast the poppy, coriander, cumin and fennel seeds, dry red chillies, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and coconut for 3-4 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.
  3. Once cooled, grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder.
  4. Crush the garlic and ginger in a pestle and mortar and keep aside.
  5. In a large pan, heat the oil and add the curry leaves. When they stop spluttering, add the sliced onions and fry till they are light brown then add the crushed garlic and ginger.
  6. Add the ground spices and star anise and fry for a minute before adding a splash of water.
  7. Meanwhile chop and add the tomatoes, turmeric, salt and stir in the chilli powder.
  8. Add the chicken, cover and leave to simmer on the lowest setting until it is tender about 25 minutes.
  9. Once the chicken is cooked through squeeze in the lime juice and remove from the heat. 
  10. Throw in the fresh coriander leaves and serve.

Nutritional information

Typical values* per Serving
Calories145
Fat (g)11
of which saturates (g)3.4
Carbohydrates (g)3.1
of which sugars (g)2.1
Fibre (g)1.1
Protein (g)8.7
Salt (mg)0.09
*Based upon calculated values, supplied by myfitnesspal.com. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated.

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Comments

Comments (54)

  • Julie

    Julie

    21 July 2020 at 07:15 |
    Hi Hari, I have been experimenting with curry for many years and I have only just discovered you and you are fabulous! My curries have gone to another level so thank you.
    I'm looking for a good quality cooking pot and was wondering what brand you would reccomend please? I have an induction hob .
    Kind regards
    Julie xxx

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      21 August 2020 at 19:22 |
      A cast iron casserole is always great - staub or le crueset. Enjoy!

      reply

  • Kevin

    Kevin

    23 November 2019 at 07:08 |
    Hi Hari. Just tried your Chettinad Chicken, but I used 1 very large chicken breast and same equivalent of mushrooms, absolutely delicious.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      03 December 2019 at 19:51 |
      Thats fantastic Kevin - so glad you loved it!

      reply

  • Suzanne F

    Suzanne F

    02 November 2019 at 13:21 |
    I frequently prepare different Goa fish and chaat recipes and so I have most of the required ingredients on hand. I do not eat chicken but I prepared this recipe with tilapia instead. I did not, unfortunately, have curry leaves either and I dislike star anise. I omitted most of the fennel and the star anise and added a bit extra water and some butter to make up for the chicken fat in the pan. I stewed the sauce covered for about 9 minutes and the buried the fish in the sauce and cooked it for about 12 minuted covered. I did not add the lime juice but my sauce came out a bit tangy from the tomatoes. It was absolutely delicious! I can't wait to try it with the curry leaves.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      02 November 2019 at 16:45 |
      Glad you enjoyed it with your tweaks Suzanne.

      reply

  • Tim

    Tim

    08 August 2019 at 20:09 |
    Hi Hari , I made this a couple of weeks ago and it was fab but I'm wondering about the ginger the ingredients suggest 2 tsp of ginger powder but the method seems to suggest fresh , which is better . Last time I used powder and it was great but wondered if fresh was even better

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      07 September 2019 at 12:54 |
      Hi Tim Yes it should be fresh ginger, its always fresh unless started otherwise. I am really pleased you tried it and loved the recipe. Please do take pictures and share them with me on my app here: https://hari.is/2P5rXbk Thanks so much and I hope that helps. Hari

      reply

  • Deborah

    Deborah

    14 June 2019 at 16:57 |
    Hi Hari,
    I’ve been following your recipes for quite a while now and everything I’ve cooked has been amazing. Last week I cooked the chettinad chicken and my husband said it was the best Indian meal he’d ever had. The depth of flavour was amazing. Definitely my favourite so far. I used chicken breast so ended up adding half a tin of chopped tomatoes as there was no juice from the chicken as if I’d used the thighs. Thank you so much for sharing!
    Deborah

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      21 June 2019 at 09:52 |
      Hi Deborah
      I am really pleased to read this - yes you have to treat breast differently but you seem to have got that sorted. Have you downloaded my free app? I would love to see the dishes you cook so please post them on the app here is the link https://hari.is/2P5rXbk

      Thanks so much

      reply

  • Anne

    Anne

    29 April 2019 at 22:30 |
    Hi Hari,
    Just working thru your fabulous recipes ( just had your chicken passanda and red lentil dhal, absolutely delicious) and am looking to make this next. Question being, is the coconut of the desiccated variety or fresh?
    In anticipation
    Anne

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      30 April 2019 at 06:34 |
      Hi Anne So great to hear that you are enjoying the recipes. You can use desiccated for this one - that is what I have in my curry kits. Let me know how it goes. Have you downloaded my free app because I would love to see pictures of the dishes you cook. Here is the link https://hari.is/2P5rXbk thanks so much Hari

      reply

  • Simon

    Simon

    27 April 2019 at 16:20 |
    Hi Hari,
    What a great recipe! Thank you for sharing. I substituted the dried chillies for a teaspoon of crushed chillies, as the three chillies in the recipe sounded a bit hot! ? It was DELICIOUS!!! I’m about to trawl your website and see what else you’ve got up your sleeve! Thanks again!

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      30 April 2019 at 06:38 |
      Hi Simon that is fantastic - yes it can be hot this one so I am glad you tweaked it to suit you. I would love to see the dishes you cook so please download my free app and post pictures of the dishes you cook. The community on the app would love to see r=them too - here is the link https://hari.is/2P5rXbk Thanks so much and let me know what you try next. Thanks Hari

      reply

  • Shams

    Shams

    09 April 2019 at 14:18 |
    Hi Hari,
    I am a fan of south Indian food. I will try this recipe on my mom birthday. I am allergic to tomatoes. If I ignore it, is it test well?

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      12 April 2019 at 10:36 |
      Hi Shams Say Happy Birthday to mom! You can roast some peppers and blend to a puree and use those instead of tomatoes if you want or just use some coconut cream instead. I hope that helps Hari

      reply

  • Lidice Serra

    Lidice Serra

    01 April 2019 at 09:56 |
    I invited some friends for dinner and made this dish for the first time and it was absolutely delicious!

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      02 April 2019 at 09:16 |
      Brilliant!! So happy to hear this, thanks so much for trying the recipe.

      reply

  • Stephen

    Stephen

    30 August 2018 at 23:02 |
    Hi Hari,
    I love you recipes and style. If I was making this in the slow cooker how much liquid would I need to add?
    Thanks
    Stephen

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      06 September 2018 at 11:21 |
      Hi Stephen - This recipe is in the cook book. If using meat on the bone or thigh then none lots of moisture will come from the meat. Hope that helps Thanks Hari

      reply

  • Leone

    Leone

    15 August 2018 at 13:00 |
    Going to try this! I normally use boneless thighs but I'm assuming this recipe is for on the bone. I recently gave up eating meat and will try this recipe using raw Tiger prawns and adding them five mins before the end of the simmering time. Will also try with chicken as my husband and son eat meat.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      17 August 2018 at 09:37 |
      Hi Leone cant wait to see your dishes - do let me know what you think and please share your pictures on the app too. Hope you love it!

      reply

  • Colin

    Colin

    22 June 2018 at 12:18 |
    This (like all your recipes) is absolutely amazing!! I've saved a fortune on takeaways since I found your site,
    and on the rare occasions where I do order a takeaway I'm always disappointed - the curries are never as fresh or as flavorsome as the ones I've made myself from your recipes.
    One thing I do for the Chettinad Chicken is I add a tablespoon of extra hot curry powder, and I'm quite liberal with birds eye chillis in the spice mix - it makes it fiery which is how I like it! :)

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      24 June 2018 at 20:55 |
      Wow Colin - thanks so much for trying the dishes and i'm so pleased you are no cooking them fresh and loving the results!! All my recipes are about giving you the basics then adding your own touches to make them your own. So happy to read this today! Thanks Hari

      reply

  • Rob

    Rob

    12 May 2018 at 17:50 |
    Delicious Hari!
    Our Friday nights are always Hari nights :-)

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      14 May 2018 at 08:35 |
      High five Rob - Thats fantastic to hear!

      reply

  • Victoria

    Victoria

    07 May 2018 at 13:02 |
    Hi, can I use tinned chopped tomatoes? Would one tin be enough? Many thanks

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      14 May 2018 at 08:31 |
      Yep that should be enough!

      reply

  • Jackie Porter

    Jackie Porter

    06 May 2017 at 10:56 |
    Hi Hari!
    I am SO looking forward to trying this recipe - it will be my first from your site and judging by all the fantastic reviews, it most certainly won't be my last!
    Just a small query... I have only got WHITE poppy seeds - will this make a difference, or should I pop out and get some black ones? And I have cardamom seeds rather than the pods - is that OK, as long as I don't go overboard with them?
    Thanks!
    Jackie

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      06 May 2017 at 13:52 |
      Hi Jackie Do let me know how it comes out. It is a lovely dish. The poppy seeds should be white so thats fine. With the cardamom be careful not to overpower the dish so just half a tsp or something depending on how much you are making. looking forward to hearing your thoughts Hari

      reply

  • Stuart hughes

    Stuart hughes

    09 April 2017 at 08:43 |
    Hi hari can i use bottled lime juice in currys instead of fresh ?

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      09 April 2017 at 09:03 |
      Hi Stuart yes it that's what you have just use about a tablespoon. Hope that helps Hari

      reply

  • Rob

    Rob

    12 November 2016 at 20:25 |
    Had a read through lots of recipes on your website today. You have a great site and it really made me want to try out one of your recipes. I started with this one because it intrigued me - I have never used poppy seeds in Indian cookery and along with the coconut it sounded lovely. I have to say the result was fantastic, we have just finished and the whole family loved it.
    I followed the recipe pretty much as is, except I have no curry leaves (and have not been able to find anywhere to get them fresh). I did add a bit more water than suggested as I thought it would be too dry, but I should have trusted you - I ended up cooking for a while longer to reduce down the extra liquid that I had added! I will totally trust you when I do the next recipe from your page!
    Many thanks Hari

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      15 November 2016 at 09:28 |
      Hi Rob It's just so great to hear comments thank you for taking the time to give me some feedback. Really happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed the Chettinad chicken - it's really flavoursome isn't it. Looking forward to hearing what you think of the next dish you try so do let me know. Thanks so much for using the website Hari.

      reply

  • Greg Upton

    Greg Upton

    22 June 2016 at 08:41 |
    Another excellent curry, thank you once again.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      23 June 2016 at 07:53 |
      Hi Greg Thanks so much for giving this a go - glad you enjoyed it.

      reply

  • Jenny

    Jenny

    23 April 2016 at 09:20 |
    Hi Hari
    If using dried curry leaves do I add with the dry spices and blitz or add when you would put the fresh ones in and leave them whole? Thanks.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      23 April 2016 at 10:38 |
      Hi Jenny I would add them as you would add the fresh ones and leave them whole. Let me know it comes out! Hope that helps. Hari

      reply

  • Michael

    Michael

    10 March 2016 at 18:52 |
    Hi Hari, that was a delicious curry. Thank you very much for another great recipe.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      10 March 2016 at 18:58 |
      Hi Michael that's great!! Glad you loved this one and thanks so much for leaving a comment. I hope you star rated the dish too. Let me know what you try next time. Hari

      reply

  • Michael

    Michael

    17 February 2016 at 18:32 |
    Hi Hari, would it be ok if I used dried curry leaves instead of fresh?
    Thanks
    Michael

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      23 February 2016 at 08:51 |
      Hi Michael Yes if that's what you have that fine. The fresh ones do give a much better flavour if you can get hold of them. Let me know how you get on. Thanks

      reply

  • Danny

    Danny

    26 January 2016 at 17:47 |
    Just wanted to thank you for such an amazing recipe. My family and I agreed it was the nicest bit of food I've ever cooked, so great success. I've now gone and bought lots of spices in bulk and I will be cooking many more of your dishes.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      26 January 2016 at 18:09 |
      Hi Danny Thank you so much for your comment - It's so amazing to hear from you guys when you have cooked a dish and loved it and I so pleased that you will be cooking more from my site. Please do follow me on social media and send pictures of your dishes as I love to see your creations. Thanks for leaving a comment and I hope to hear lots more from you on how you have used some of those lovely spices. Happy cooking Hari

      reply

  • Graeme

    Graeme

    07 January 2016 at 12:48 |
    Hi, silly question! When do you add the grated coconut? I can't find that in the method.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      07 January 2016 at 17:44 |
      Hi Graeme No worries -it's in step one you toast the spices and coconut in a pan then blitz it all to a powder in a grinder. Does that help? Thanks Hari

      reply

  • Hari Ghotra

    Hari Ghotra

    29 June 2015 at 08:20 |
    Hi Vinoth
    That's amazing to hear! Thank you so much for taking the time to drop me a note. Really pleased you enjoyed the dish and that it brought back some happy memories! Do let me know if you try anything else. Thanks Hari

    reply

  • Vinoth

    Vinoth

    29 June 2015 at 01:35 |
    I cooked this dish this afternoon. While cooking when I added the grounded spices I felt the aroma of chettinad chicken I had in hotel. At that time itself I realized that the dish is going be awesome(I am not messing it). The end product was really good. Thanks

    reply

  • Hari Ghotra

    Hari Ghotra

    09 June 2015 at 20:16 |
    Wow you sound like you cooked up a huge feast! Well done Neil and thank you for trying this dish - I'm really pleased it went so well, I love the flavours of this one too. Do let me know what's on the menu next week. Cheers Hari

    reply

  • Neil B

    Neil B

    09 June 2015 at 18:41 |
    Yet another marvellous recipe - far fresher and tastier than any takeaway curry. It seemed a little hot during cooking, but some of the heat disapated through the cooking process and adding the lime at the end produced a fantastic medium hot and tangy curry. Served with pilau, naan, mint & corriander chutney, yoghurt & mint sauce. This is the 5th different recipe of yours I've tried - every one's been exceptional - and I'm looking forward to trying another next week.

    reply

  • Hari Ghotra

    Hari Ghotra

    08 June 2015 at 16:24 |
    Hi Catherine - you certainly can!

    reply

  • Catherine

    Catherine

    08 June 2015 at 14:28 |
    Hi Hari. Can I use desiccated coconut instead of grated coconut?

    reply

  • Hari Ghotra

    Hari Ghotra

    06 June 2015 at 18:43 |
    Amazing!! Glad you liked this lovely dish.

    reply

  • Nigel

    Nigel

    06 June 2015 at 07:28 |
    Hello Hari,

    I cooked this last night and the dish was excellent, thank you. I had a moment of doubt after I added the chicken thinking that the whole dish was too dry, even allowing for liquid to come from the tomatoes and chicken. After 10 minutes I checked and added a splash of recently boiled water, but after checking again after a further 10 minutes there was more liquid than I had put in. I guess I should have trusted you and held my nerve.

    The dish had a nice bite to it from both the chilli and the limes. Thoroughly recommended.

    reply

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Hari Ghotra